


A Week at Dragon Park

by thequidditchpitch_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Comedy, Fluff, Post-War, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: Eternity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-26
Updated: 2007-01-26
Packaged: 2018-10-26 09:12:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10783848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequidditchpitch_archivist/pseuds/thequidditchpitch_archivist
Summary: Charlie's taking some time off from his work in Romania to visit the rest of the Weasleys in England. But when he takes his nieces to play at a park with a dragon theme, he meets someone he never expected... and it was the last thing she expected too. Over the course of a week, Charlie learns Sarah's life has already been touched by the Magic world. But when he tries to introduce her to that world, how will she respond? Monday. Thank you to Ferox for all of his help...





	1. Monday

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

 

A Week at Dragon Park 

Monday 

It was a beautiful June day, the sun was shining, birds were probably singing. I’m sure it was a day made for movies. Had it been a movie day, the female lead would probably be wearing some sort of sundress, yellow, quite likely, carrying a nice big picnic basket and making her way to the park I was about to enter myself. Of course, in the movie, the male lead, well muscled, wearing some roughed up jeans and a slightly too tight T-shirt, his dark hair still wet from a shower, would be waiting for her already. He’d be in the park, probably carrying some flowers, daisies perhaps, to compliment the yellow sundress. They’d embrace, then sit down and enjoy a lunch of apples, cheese, crackers, and wine.

 But there was no movie. I hadn’t seen a movie in years, at least not in a theatre. And I was wearing my grubby jeans, and old T-shirt with a barbeque sauce stain. My lunch was half a tuna fish sandwich. Canned tuna at that. I hate tuna. And I hadn’t seen anyone else in this park during school months in about two years, so the muscley tall dark handsome man of my imaginary movie was unlikely to jump into real life. 

I unwrapped my sandwich as I headed into the park. It had been the only sandwich left at the London Zoo cafeteria. Tuna on _white_ , even worse. And it was dry. Lovely.  

The bench I’d sat on for lunch every weekday for the past seven years felt rough, but familiar. I took my first bite as I sat down. Yuck. No mayonnaise. I threw the rest of the sandwich into the bin behind the bench and sighed. The day was too nice for brooding, which was too bad. I’m such a good brooder. I have been ever since Philip died. Well, first I’d cried. A lot. I’d nearly lost my job at the London Zoo. Not that it was a great job, who really likes cleaning animal feces? But it was a job I’d enjoyed before. After all my crying, I’d moved on to sleeping. But then my job really was threatened, so I’d turned to brooding. Instead of eating lunch at the zoo cafeteria like I’d used to, I started bringing my lunch to a nearby park. It was a sweet little park, always busy during July and August, when the local kids would climb all over the play structure. That was a big green monstrosity; I was surprised it didn’t scare the children. It was meant to look like a dragon, but since the slide was supposed to be a shot of flames coming from the dragon’s mouth, I found it a bit creepy, and it reminded me more of a fat lizard. No matter, the park was usually quiet and I found I needed the quiet to brood. And while I rarely stopped to admire the landscaping, it was rather nice. 

“Oooh, a dragon, Uncle Charlie look!” 

I jumped and looked over to the park gate, where a little girl with bright red hair was running in.  

“What kind is it, Uncle Charlie?” 

My Movie Man, carrying a picnic basket even, entered stage left. Well, maybe not _stage_ left since it was a movie not a play, but he entered the park at any rate.  

“Hmmm… what kind of dragon do you think it is Emily?” 

Movie Man had muscles. Yum. I saw them ripple a bit as he used one arm to lift a second red-headed girl off his shoulders and set her down. She ran ahead a bit with Emily. 

“Mmmmm, a Welsh Green?” 

Muscles, but he was a bit shorter than I’d pictured. 

“What do you think Charlotte?” 

Shorter, and he didn’t have the dark hair. 

“Which kind did Uncle Harry fight again?”  

His hair was a deep red, but not wet from a shower. More tousled mess, probably from carrying Charlotte. 

“A Hungarian Horntail.” 

Muscled, not too tall, tousled red-headed Movie Man had a sense of humor too. Nice. 

“That’s what I think it is then. A Hungarian Horntail.”  

Charlotte gave Movie Man a big smiled and turned to run at the Hungarian Horntail play structure. 

“Who’s right Uncle Charlie? What kind is it?” 

Movie Man set the picnic basket down near a big oak tree, and moved close to watch Charlotte and Emily climb. 

“It’s whatever kind we want it to be.” 

Movie Man had a sort of swagger when he walked. It was a nice swagger. 

“Let’s make up a new breed then, okay?” 

Movie Man grinned and held his hand out to help Emily jump from the end of the dragon’s tail. 

“Okay, where should it come from girls?” 

The little bit of lunch I’d eaten tossed around in my stomach as I gazed at Movie Man’s grin. 

“Godric’s Hollow.” 

If Movie Man’s grin tossed my lunch a bit, it had nothing on his laugh. It was more of a guffaw than a laugh, and it sounded so innocent and happy. My ears tingled a little. 

“Okay, so what about a Godric Golden?” 

The tingle worked its way from my ears a bit further south as Movie Man bent over to catch one of the girls at the bottom of the slide. His rear looked exactly how I’d pictured in the movie. Weird. No, not weird. Nice. 

“Golden? No, what about a Godric Galleon Eater?” 

So now Movie Man has shown off his lovely, um, assets, and I glanced at his left hand. No ring. Excellent. My ears and, er, other parts are tingling now, my lunch long forgotten, and I realize, this is the first time I’ve felt attracted to a man since Philip died. A wave of guilt passed over me. 

“Or Godric Glumbumble.” 

The guilt tamed as I listened to Movie Man make the two little girls giggle. His guffaw mixed with the kids’ laughter, and I smiled. I smiled, and caught Movie Man’s eye. Well, both of them. Both of his deep blue eyes. 

“Hullo.” 

Uh-oh, I’m staring! I’m staring and I’ve just been caught. Say something, say anything! 

“Hi.” 

I’m a genius. Definitely rocket scientist material.   

“I’m Charlotte.” 

The shorter red headed girl walked over to me. 

“This is Emily, one of my big sisters. And this is Uncle Charlie. He’s visiting from Romania, and he brought us here for lunch to show us a dragon, since he can’t take us to work with him to show us any _real_ drag-”  

“Charlie Weasley.” Movie Man held out his hand.  

“Sarah Pritchard.” I held my hand out to meet his.  

Charlie’s handshake was firm. His fingers were rough and calloused, I wanted to look down at them to try to make out why they were rough, but those eyes were staring right into mine.  My ears tingled again. 

“Aren’t either of you going to say anything else?” It was Emily this time. “You just look like a couple of plimpies with your legs all tied together.” 

Oh, how I would like to tie our legs together. My left leg and his right… 

“Why don’t you and Charlotte go get the picnic basket Emily? Bring it over here and we can sit down for a few minutes, okay?”

His Movie Man eyes still hadn’t left mine. Another vision of legs tied up passed through my head as the little girls scampered off together. It would be _some_ movie. 

“So, dragons. Your niece sure has a great imagination.” 

Yes! Surely that line would earn me a smile. I’m so smooth! One point for Pritchard. 

“Uh, yeah, imagination. You just never know what they’ll say.” Charlie gently dropped my hand as he gestured toward the girls. “And these are just two of my nieces.” 

“ _Just_ two of them? How many are there altogether?” 

“We have three other sisters who aren’t here today.” The pig-tailed nieces were back. “And Uncle Bill has two more. Well, not two more sisters, but two more cousins. One’s a boy though. He doesn’t play with us much. Then Uncle Fred and Auntie Angelina have three boys, and they like to play with us. Especially Felix. He’s the oldest. He gives us piggy back rides.” 

“Okay, thanks Charlotte.” Movie Man grinned apologetically at me, while rummaging in the picnic basket. “Here you go. Roast beef, just like you wanted. And Emily, here’s your tuna fish sandwich. White bread, no crusts, just the way you like it.” 

“Thanks Uncle Charlie.” 

The girls must have been hungry, because they immediately sat down side by side and began munching in silence. Wow.  

“Sorry about that.” Movie Man was talking to me again. Pay attention Pritchard! 

“Oh, it’s no worry at all. I don’t have any nieces or nephews. Or any kids I’m close to at all. I think these girls are sweet.” 

“None at all?” 

“It must seem odd to someone with what, nine nieces and nephews?” 

Movie Man grinned. “Seventeen actually,” he answered me. I swooned. “Well, for now. My older brother, that’s their Uncle Bill, he’s got a daughter and a son. Then my brother Fred has three boys. His twin brother George has four boys. And there’s my little sister, who’s got two boys and a girl, and baby number four on the way.” 

“Wow. Big family.” 

“Yeah, everyone with red hair and freckles, save a few of my sisters-in-law and my brother-in-law. The whole clan can be a bit overwhelming.”  

I chewed my lip, which, along with my ears, was tingling. “So, how many siblings do you have then?” 

“Five brothers and a sister. All married, all but one with kids.” 

“And everyone has red hair? I didn’t realize the red hair gene was so strong.” 

Pritchard scores another point as Freckled Movie Man guffaws again. The guffaw makes me melt a little again. 

“Well, I guess it is in our family. Red hair and lots of boys.”

  Another guffaw, more melting. How hot _is_ it today, anyway? 

“What about you, Sarah? Any siblings?”  

My name sounds fantastic coming from Freckled Movie Man’s lips.  

“Well, Movie Ma- um, Charlie, my family is a lot smaller. A _lot_ smaller.” 

“I used to wish for a smaller family when I was a kid.” Charlie smiled at me again, flashing bright white, perfectly straight teeth at me. “I got stuck baby sitting a lot. These days I volunteer.” He gestured to the girls who were getting dangerously close to being finished their lunch. 

“I’d volunteer to baby sit if I could, but I have no one to sit for.” I took a deep breath. It’s been a long time since I’ve talked about my family. “I don’t really have a family.” 

Charlie looked at me softly. “None at all?” 

I shook my head. “None at all. I’m an only child. My mother died when I was young. I ran away from my father when I was fifteen, and I haven’t heard from him since.” 

I let out the shaky breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. 

“Sorry. I don’t usually blurt all that out minutes after meeting someone.” I added quickly. I didn’t want to ruin this by dumping my whole emotional load on him straight away. 

“Hey, it’s okay.” Charlie’s rough hand brushed next to mine again. I looked down at it this time. Rough and freckly. With some odd scars marking the back. “I don’t usually list my nieces and nephews when I meet someone either. But I don’t often meet people while taking my nieces on a hunt for a dragon.” 

“A dragon hunt in a park for Mugg-“  

“Emily, if you’re done your sandwich, do want biscuits for pudding?” Charlie interrupted the older girl, who nodded quickly. “Okay, here you are then. And share them with your sister, okay?” 

Emily grinned and moved to sit back with Charlotte again.  

“Listen I have to get back to work.” I didn’t want to, but I had to. “I come here for lunch everyday though, so maybe I’ll see you here again?” 

I held my breath a bit and looked up at Charlie. Please let him say yes. I want to see those freckles again. _Please_. 

“Yeah, definitely. I’m here for the week, maybe I can bring a different handful of nieces tomorrow.” 

I grinned. “Tomorrow then.” 

“Tomorrow.” 

“Bye Charlie.” 

“Bye Sarah.” Have I mentioned how good my name sounds when he says it? 

“Bye Sarah.” A higher voice that time. 

“Bye Emily, Charlotte. Good luck with your Goodrick Glumber.” 

“Godric Glumbumble.” 

“Right. Glombemble. Have fun.”  

That earned me a pair of grins from the girls. I walked toward the gate. Before leaving to walk back to work, I waved back at Charlie.  

He waved back, the sun shimmering off his red locks, his pearly white teeth showing as I heard some birds singing, I could almost picture a bouquet of daisies in his hand. No, not daisies. Yellow looks terrible on me. Roses. A bouquet of roses and snapdragons. That’s what Freckled Movie Man would hold.


	2. Tuesday

Tuesday  

“And then, Uncle Harry came flying back into the stadium. He steered his broom down toward the golden egg, and snatched it right up.”

“And he won?”

“Sure did. It was incredible.”

“Is Uncle Harry the greatest wizard in the world?”

“Nope.”

“Who is?”

“Your Uncle Charlie.”

That made the girls giggle. I’m good at getting my nieces and nephews to laugh. Not as good as the twins, but I have a career working with fire breathing reptiles, they deal with jokes. 

“No, you’re the silliest wizard in the world, Uncle Charlie!”

“But I think Uncle Harry is still the greatest.”

“Humph.” I reached up and plucked the feistiest of all my nieces off my shoulders. “I guess you’ll have to ask _Uncle Harry_ for a piggy back ride then. What do you think about _that_?”  

Charlotte Weasley grinned up at me. “I think you’re jealous of Uncle Harry!”

“Yeah,” her oldest sister chimed in, “you just wish _you’d_ been in the TriWizard Cup so _you_ could fight the dragon!” Audrey really was too bright for her own good.

“And _you’re_ just like your mother, you little know-it-all,” I teased. I was rewarded with a quick hug around my waist.

“Thanks, Uncle Charlie,” said the nine-year-old.

“Audrey, he called you a know-it-all,” six-year-old Emily piped up. “It wasn’t a compliment.”

“Oh, but it was.” I tugged on Emily’ bright red pigtail. “Your mum was, and still is, the brightest witch of her age.” 

I wasn’t lying either. Hermione Weasley was beyond bright. Her only downfall was falling for my youngest brother. Ron is a good guy and all, but I like to think I would’ve been a good catch myself. That’s right. I’d been attracted to my sister-in-law, before she was my sister-in-law of course. I kinda like brainy women. Non-redheaded brainy women.

“Are we there yet?” Audrey asked. “I want to see the Godric Glumbumble.”

“Right around the corner.” I followed the girls as they began to run. 

“There it is!” Emily and Charlotte each grabbed one of Audrey’s hands and pulled her through the park gate. The three made a beeline for the big dragon-like play structure in the middle of the garden.

Jogging after the freckled kids I scanned the park. There she was. Sarah. A simple, pretty name for a simple, pretty girl.

Well, I can’t really say she’s simple. I hardly know her, but I know she is pretty, and she’s not a redhead either. Her hair is a deep brown colour. It’s tied back today, hanging softly just past the nape of her neck. She isn’t tall, but neither am I. Her blue eyes are startling, not just because they’re beautiful, but also because they hold a deep sadness.

I waved. 

She waved back.

“Hi,” she called out to me. Non-redheaded, and a great smile. Don’t screw it up, Weasley. “An extra niece this time?”

“Well, I do have a lot of them!” Smooth, scare her off with dozens of kids.

 “Hi Sarah!” Emily called out as she ran over with her sisters trailing behind her. “You look nice.” 

_So Audrey isn’t my only smart niece,_ I laughed to myself.

“Thanks, Charlotte.”

“Emily.”

“Sorry, Emily.” Sarah blushed a little. She was even prettier when she blushed. I hoped I could make her blush too. “Hi Charlotte. And hello…”

“Audrey. Audrey Weasley. How do you do?”

Sarah smiled at my bright, though somewhat formal niece, and shook her hand. “I’m well thank you. My name is Sarah Pritchard.”

“I know. Emily and Charlotte told me all about you yesterday.”

“Did they?” she looked up at me, surprised. “And what did they tell you?”

“Well,” Audrey began, “they said you’re pretty, which is true. They said you were really nice,” Audrey smirked slyly up at me, “and they said you made Uncle Charlie smile the whole way home.”

Sarah laughed. I blushed. I really like her laugh. I’m not so fond of my blush.

“Audrey,” I tried not to stammer, “why don’t you take your sisters back to play on the Godric Glumbumble?”

“You mean, _Audrey, take your little sisters away so I can flirt with Sarah_ right?” Charlotte whispered to me, lowering her voice a bit as she tried to imitate me. I looked down at her and she beamed up at me, her brown eyes full of mischief. Honestly, she and Emily were worse than Fred and George sometimes.

“How do you know what flirting is, my dear five year old niece?” I whispered back.

“I’ll be six next month,” was all the reply she gave me.

“Come on, Charlotte, you promised.” Audrey grabbed Charlotte’s arm and pulled her away. “Emily, you too.”

“Okay,” Emily began to follow, smirking back at me. “Good luck, Uncle Charlie.”

Can’t Ron control these girls? “Uh, thanks, Emily.”

I shook my head as I turned back to Sarah.

“Sorry.” I grinned wryly and shrugged. 

 She gestured to the bench and I sat. She sat down, but not as close to me as I would have liked. 

“Are you really going to flirt with me?”

“Yeah.” I scooted a little closer. “That okay with you?”

“Do I have to flirt back?” Sarah leaned toward me. She smelled nice, sort of citrus-y. 

“If you want.” I sucked in a breath and cringed. Did I really say that? Was I really this bad at talking to women? No wonder I’m thirty-nine and single.

“Okay.”

“Okay what?” 

“Okay, I’ll flirt back.” She smiled again. My heart started to race a bit. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Okay, so I need to work on my flirting a bit. I don’t usually flirt. I work with dragons. Most women I’m around know that. They tell me it’s sexy. How huge stacks of dung and sweating from the heat of dragon breath is sexy, I’ll never know. But it’s always worked in the past. Of course, all the women I’ve known before have been witches. Now I’m trying to flirt with someone who doesn’t even know dragons exist, and I’m not really sure what to do.

The silence is broken as the girls come running back.

“Can we have the picnic basket, Uncle Charlie?”

“Sure. Just sit down nicely while you eat, okay?”

“Okay, Uncle Flirt.”

 “Emily…” I trailed, giving her a _Look_ , and briefly considered a wandless _Silencio_. She just giggled and ran behind Audrey who was carrying the food. I’d have to have a talk with Ron about the kids. Was Emily six or sixteen? “I guess she doesn’t realise how bad I am at flirting, huh?” 

“Well, I’m not much better.” Sarah looked up at me. “This could get ugly.”

Ugly? I don’t wan this to get ugly. Think, Weasley. You weren’t a brilliant Quidditch Captain for nothing. Of course, I can’t talk about Quidditch now. Or dragons. Or, well, anything in my world. Not just yet. Bugger!

 Ah-ha! I’ve got it. The Perfect Pickup Line.  “So, come here often?”   On second thought, maybe it wasn’t the perfect line. At the very least, it certainly wasn’t original.  

“Every day for lunch actually,” Sarah laughed. “Are you going to yawn and put your arm around me too?”

“Do you want me to?” Please want me to. Please.

“Yeah.” Yes!

 “Well, alright then.” I cleared my throat and tried to stop my hands from shaking. “Gosh, all this baby sitting is wearing me out.” I hope my sleepy voice sounds sleepy to her. To me it sounds like I swallowed a Cornish Pixie. Not sexy, no matter how many dragons I’ve worked with. I yawned as big as I could, hoping it didn’t look as awkward as it felt. As I did, I stretched my left arm out and up, and swiftly brought it down on the back of the bench behind Sarah. “Ah. That’s much better.” I felt as though I’d earned Emily’s title of _silliest wizard in the world_ , and held my breath a bit. Relief came when she giggled. 

She giggled! I made her giggle again! This wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe there’s hope for Uncle Flirt after all.

“Very smooth.” Sarah laughed.

“Thank you.” The breeze tickled my arm, sending goosebumps all the way up to the back of my neck. I looked over at the beautiful woman beside me. Yup, definitely beautiful, not just pretty. Her mouth was still smiling, her eyes were still sparkling. But there was still something buried, and I was overwhelmed with a feeling of wanting to know more about her. 

“Well, now that we have the cheesy flirting out of the way,” I let a few fingers drop down to gently touch her shoulder, “tell me more about yourself, Sarah.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

“There’s not much to tell really.”

But I knew there was plenty to tell. I hoped she trusted me enough to share that with me. After all, I’m practically a stranger to her right now. A stranger with a bunch of freckled faced nieces following him around. I took a deep breath.

 “How about telling me why you ran away as a teenager?” 

The pretense of flirting was gone now. The scene had taken a very serious tone.

 She paused and looked right at me. It felt like her eyes were boring a hole directly into my mind. It should have been creepy, but it wasn’t. I hoped that whatever she could see made her trust me. Somehow in that moment, without saying anything, I’d convinced her to open up to me.  

“Things really changed at home after my mom died. I tried really hard to remember her, try to keep something about her around, you know?  I don’t remember much now though.”

“How old were you when she died?”

“Five.” 

“Then you can remember enough.” I moved my free hand over to take one of hers. “What do you remember about her?” 

“The way she smelled mostly. She always wore the same perfume. _Gardenia Dream_ it was called. And I remember the way she smiled. The way she would tuck me into bed. She used to sit on my bed and brush my hair until I was asleep. And then one day, she was gone.”

“What happened?”

“My father said it was an accident. A car crash. But I think she did it on purpose.”

“Suicide?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“But why?”

Sarah looked down at our hands. “To get away from him. He was awful to her. My father I mean. The yelling. The hitting. Then once Mum was gone, he turned to me.”

“Turned to you?”

“Yeah. It was terrible. My childhood ended when she died. But I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to stop it. When I was fifteen, I ran away. After that, I did a lot of things I’m not proud of. I spent years sleeping on couches and beds all over the place, running from boyfriend to boyfriend, trying to find someone to love me.” She kept her gaze on our hands. Her thumb was running back and forth over my knuckles. “I know it’s silly, but sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if my mum had lived. If we’d run away together.

“I’m so sorry.” I wasn’t sure what to say, but that seemed somewhat appropriate. 

“Thanks.” Her thumb was rubbing my knuckles roughly now, as though she were trying to pour her feelings into me without talking.

“So, how’d you end up working at the Zoo?”

“Well, when I was nineteen, I met Phillip. He sort of saved me. He got me a small flat. Got me away from the people who called themselves my friends, but who only brought me further down. He cleaned me up, you know. Found me a job at the Zoo. He loved me really. Without demanding anything from me. And one day, I loved him back,” she said as a lone tear slipped down her cheek. I dropped her hand and brushed the tear away. “We were going to be married.”

“Were?”

“Were.” Sarah sighed and looked across the park. “He was killed. The collapse of the Brockdale Bridge back in 1996. He’d been driving across it. Driving to see me.”

The bridge? Brockdale Bridge. Voldemort’s Death Eaters. A chill ran down my spine, and my heart broke again for the pain the War had caused. She looked vulnerable as she finished her story. I wanted to gather her together and hold her tight.

“I remember the collapse. I’m so sorry, Sarah.” Sorry my world didn’t leave yours alone. Sorry the man you loved was killed. Sorry I know so well the pain you felt, and still feel. I wanted to tell her just how much I remembered, but it was too soon.

“Yeah,” she took a deep breath and looked back at me, “thanks.”

Her blue eyes were brimming with tears. I squeezed her shoulder with the hand that still rested just behind her. I let my hand linger near her neck. She tipped her head to lean against me. It felt nice, like my feeble attempt to comfort her was helping.

“I guess you’re the better flirt.” Sarah dropped the sharing tone and grinned wryly. “I sure spoiled the mood, didn’t I?”

“Not at all,” I told her honestly, “thank you for sharing that with me. I’m glad you felt you could trust me.”

“Well, to be perfectly honest with you, I haven’t really had many people to confide in at all lately.” She looked me dead in the eye. My heart rate jumped. “It’s been hard. These past, what, sixteen years. Wow, has it really been that long?” she asked herself. “I guess so.” She shook her head, making her hair tickle me gently. “I think it’s about time I had a friend again.”

“And do I get to be that friend?”

“If you don’t mind.” Sarah smiled hopefully at me. 

“Not at all.”

We sent the rest of her lunch hour sitting there, just like that. She was cuddled against me, my arm was wrapped around her shoulders, and my thumb rubbed soft circles on her neck. The girls had their lunch, and played on the Godric Glumbumble. Sarah and I reminisced quietly. I assume she thought about her lost fiancé. I thought about all those we’d lost to the war, silently adding the name Philip to the list. By the time we agreed to meet again the following day and I made it back to Ron and Hermione’s with the girls, I realized I hadn’t eaten anything for lunch at all. Despite that I wasn’t hungry.  That night after helping Ron tuck the girls in, reading three stories, singing two songs, and reading another story, he and I each nursed a Firewhisky on the couch. I told him I met someone. Without saying anything, he clinked his glass against mine, grinned slyly, and nodded goodnight. As I slept, I dreamt of sleek brown hair, blue eyes swimming with hope, and a beautiful girl crossing a bridge. 


	3. Wednesday

Wednesday  

There were clouds out today, but the sun still managed to shine through the odd little clear patch of sky. It was still quite warm though, and I was glad to be wearing a sleeveless top. It was my own little brand of flirting, a new top. It shows off my arms, which are rather muscle-y, thanks to work, and it’s also rather low cut. _That’s_ something I don’t do very often.  But, maybe Charlie’s a breast kind of guy. Not that I have a particularly large chest, but it’s worth a shot.

I was waiting in the park, wearing my sexy new flirt shirt and some clean jeans, since I’d changed before leaving work. I was sitting on the bench, munching on my sandwich. Ham and cheese on rye this time. Not bad.

After having poured my heart out to him the day before, I was a bit nervous that maybe Charlie wouldn’t show up. I hoped I hadn’t scared him away, displaying my baggage and all. Oh well, if he did show up, my new top was showing off something a bit better than baggage.

Movie Man Charlie strolled into the park when I was just a few bites into my sandwich, this time with _four_ girls. All with red hair, all with faces covered in freckles. They’re adorable really. I recognize Emily and Charlotte at once. The other two girls must be the twins. They’re so tiny. All four kids are wearing bright towels tied around their necks as capes, and each has a glittery tiara perched on her head.  Charlie’s leading them in some sort of march, all heads held high, giggles coming from all five of them. Well, Charlie didn’t giggle of course. He has that super sexy guffaw. 

“There it is!” Emily cried out. At least, I’m pretty sure it was Emily this time. “Beatrix, Bridget, it’s the Godric Glumbumble!”

“Oh no,” one of the twins ducked behind Charlie. “Save us, Pwince Uncle Chawie!” Ah-hah! A new game.

“Well, since you’re all hiding behind me, maybe you should all go play for a bit first, then I’ll come to save you when you’re damsels in distress, okay?” The girls nodded. “I’ll be right over on that bench watching you. Emily, you buddy with Beatrix, Charlotte, take Bridget. Any questions?”

“No, Prince Uncle Charlie.”

“Have fun then girls.” Prince Movie Man smiled at me as he crossed the park. “Sarah.”

“Hi,” I set down my lunch and stood up to greet him. I wondered if I should hug him hello or not. I wanted to. “Are those girls multiplying?”

Charlie laughed. I mean, guffawed. He set a picnic basket down on the bench, and smoothly reached over and wrapped his arms around me. I melted a bit and hugged him back. It wasn’t a long embrace, but it was warm, and reassured me I hadn’t scared him with yesterday’s story.

“It sometimes seems that way,” he told me as he let his arms drop to his sides and winked at me. “But I’m pretty sure it’s just my brothers _doing_ the multiplying.”

I raised my eyebrows as we sat down. “Yes, the big, busy Weasley family. You’ve told me a bit about them, but I get the feeling there’s a lot more to know.”

“You have no idea.” Charlie reached into the picnic basket. “We Weasley’s have many surprises.” His eyes twinkled as he held out a small bunch of flowers. “Gardenias.”

 Tears sprang to my eyes. “Gardenias?” I took the soft white blooms from him. 

“Like your mother’s perfume.” Charlie’s voice was gruff. “I hope that’s okay.”

I swallowed and looked up at him. “Yeah. That’s more than okay. That’s really nice of you.” Taking a sniff of the flowers, I smiled and remembered my mother. “Thank you. For listening yesterday, and for remembering.” No one had ever really paid that sort of attention to what I’d said before. 

“I’m happy to.” He touched my hand softly. “I’m glad we talked.”

I nodded.

“Beatrix and Bridget,” he motioned to the identical girls running around with Charlotte and Emily. “Double trouble, but worth every minute.”

“How old?” I asked, admiring his handsome face, strong neck, broad shoulders… 

“Not quite three. Their birthday’s in November.”

“We’re donzeals in mistwess!” a small voice interrupted from the dragon like play structure.  

“ _Distress_.” Charlotte corrected the twin who’d called out.

“Save us Pwince Uncle Chawie!” the other twin shrieked.

Charlie gave me a careful smile and nodded toward his nieces. “I’ll be back,” he assured me and stood up. “Did I hear mention of some damsels in distress?”

 I watched as the five red haired Weasleys played, jumping and screaming, and finally slaying the big green Gomric Glumber. Or whatever it was that Emily and Charlotte had named the playground monstrosity. The twins were clapping and hugging Charlie’s legs while their older sisters straightened their tiaras and towel capes. Their eyes glowed as they gazed up at _Prince Uncle Charlie._

Charlie played the part well. I could see how much he loved the girls. He was clearly a family man. It was like watching magic as the girls laughed and the man teased. My heart constricted painfully as I realized _this_ was what childhood could have been like for me. What it should have been like for me. I could have been a happy little girl with pig tails and tiaras and dragon slaying uncles.

But maybe I could settle for a dragon slaying prince now instead.

I smiled, thinking of how safe I’d felt sitting with Charlie yesterday. His arm around my shoulders felt nice, it felt natural. My cheeks warmed as I remembered the way he’d held my hand. 

His muscles rippled a bit as he hoisted one of the twins up onto the dragon slide. Yup, they rippled. He is my Movie Man after all. He smiled and went to catch her while the other three girls climbed their way over the scales that served as the ladder to the top of the dragon breath flame slide. One red head slid down to Charlie, then another, and just as the third began her descent, the fourth let out a scream.

“Beatrix!” screamed Emily, running from the bottom of the slide back to the ladder. “Uncle Charlie, help!”

I jumped up and ran over to the girls. Charlie grabbed Charlotte mid-slide, set her down, and dashed over to a sobbing Beatrix. Emily and Charlie reached her first. Beatrix was holding her elbow, which was bleeding.

“Beatrix, luv, are you alright?” The crying child grabbed her uncle around the neck, clinging to him for dear life, her bloody elbow forgotten in her fright. Charlie sat down and gathered her into his lap. “Shh. It’s okay, Uncle’s here,” he reassured her. Charlotte had an arm around Bridget, who looked like she was trying to not cry herself. Emily reached over and held the little girl’s hand. They all looked sadly at Beatrix and Charlie.

“I falled, Uncle Chawie!” Fat tears rolled down her chubby cheeks as she tried to catch her breath. “I falled, and no one was thewe to catch me!”

Charlie looked crestfallen as he stroked her red hair and sighed. “I’m so sorry Beatrix. Uncle Charlie was helping your sisters, and shouldn’t have let you climb up by yourself. What hurts, luv?”

Beatrix took a great breath and hiccupped. “My arm got an owie.” She pointed to her elbow. “I falled on it.”

“Let Uncle Charlie take a look, okay?”

“Okay,” Beatrix put on a brave face. She allowed her arm to be twisted tenderly. It didn’t seem broken, jus scraped. “Are you going to use youw wand to fix-“

“Beatrix,” Charlie interrupted, “There are no wands here, okay?” He glanced nervously up at me. 

Of course. Men wouldn’t carry around bandages or antiseptic spray. “Don’t worry, I’ve got something in my handbag.” I jumped up and ran back to the bench to grab my purse. “I’ve seen the ads for those antiseptic pens, that’s probably what she means by wand. I don’t have the same thing, but I have something that should help.” I jogged back over to the pile of freckled Weasleys, riffling through my full purse. “Ah-ha!”

Charlie and the girls looked up curiously as I produced two plasters. “These’ll do the trick!” I smiled and settled myself down next to Charlie, who still had Beatrix cuddled into his lap. Maybe I could cuddle on that lap one day. _Did I really just think that?_ I blushed and tried to focus on bandaging a skinned elbow.

“What _are_ they?” asked Charlotte.

“Just some regular old bandages. Now,” I instructed as I pulled out a clean tissue to wipe away the blood on Beatrix’s wound, “hold still for me, okay?”

I was answered with silence. Dropping the now bloody tissue, I opened the first plaster and pulled off the paper from the sticky ends. But before I could apply the bandage to the elbow, Beatrix had jumped up and dashed behind Charlie, using him as a shield between herself and me. 

“That’s not what Mommy does when I get owies.” Beatrix’s eyes were wide and she looked scared. “Mommy uses magic.”

“Beatrix, Mommy’s not here with her, what was that Sarah? Antisteptick wand? But Uncle Charlie’s here, and he knows that Sarah has seen owies before, and she knows what to do, even if it’s different from what Mommy or Daddy might do, okay?” Charlie said quickly. He took a deep breath and tilted Beatrix’s chin up with one hand and wiped fresh tears from her cheeks with his other. “Sarah will just help you a different way. Uncle Charlie trusts her, you can too.”

“Okay,” she sniffled.

I smiled gently at her. “Beatrix?” she looked up at me. “I’m just going to stick this on your owie, okay?” 

“Yeah,” Beatrix nodded, “I twust you, like Uncle Chawie.” Through her tears, I still got a shy smile.

“Thank you for trusting me.” I told her. _Were all kids this tough?_ I wondered to myself. “Here’s one…” I placed the first plaster over the scraped skin. “And here’s the other.” I stuck the second to her elbow and smiled at her.

“Th-thanks-,” she looked at the bandages with curious eyes. Beatrix must have decided that I’d done a satisfactory job, since she climbed from Charlie’s lap over to mine.  “Even if it’s different from Mommy, I still twust you.” 

“You know what my Mommy used to do when I got an owie?” The tiny girl in my lap shook her head. “She would do this,” I gently lifted the bandaged elbow up and placed a soft kiss on her elbow. “Then, she would cuddled me in her lap, and brush my hair until I felt better.”

Beatrix looked up at me. “Do you have a bwush?”

I smiled and nodded. “Would you like me to brush your hair, Beatrix?”

“Yes, please.” She grinned up at me. Something tightened in my chest when I saw that sweet little smile. “Like youw Mommy.” 

“Like my Mommy.” Tears sprang to my eyes as I remembered. These Weasleys were turning me into a softie. I shook my head and reached again for my handbag. Armed with my brush, I plucked the sweet tiara from Beatrix’s hair and softly began to run the bristles through her ginger-coloured hair. “How’s that?”

“Good.” Beatrix rubbed her eyes and sighed.

“Is Sawah making the owie go away, Twixie?” her twin sister asked.

Beatrix smiled. “Yeah.” 

Charlie reached over and squeezed my thigh while winking at me. He pulled Bridget into his lap. The six of us stayed like that for the next half hour. The girls told me about the adventure they’d just had with the Godric Glumbumble dragon. Emily beamed as she told me how Prince Uncle Charlie had rescued all four of them in one swift movement, just before the dragon had been about to get them. I laughed, brushed each girl’s hair, and helped position the tiaras back on each of the Princesses Weasley. Charlie straightened their towel capes and gruffly reminded each girl how much he loved them with a handful kisses, and a few biscuits from the picnic basket. Emily brought the bouquet of gardenias over to me, and convinced Charlie to tuck a single flower behind my ear.

“Well, I hate to say this, but I have to get back to work.” I announced, tucking my brush back into my purse and nudging Beatrix, who’d settled back into my lap. “I wish I could stay and play all afternoon.”

“You can come and play at home.” Bridget piped up. “Mommy would say yes.”

I smiled and glanced at Charlie. “Perhaps another night?” I wasn’t sure who I was asking, but I just knew I wanted to spend more time with my new freckled friends. “What do you think Prince Uncle Charlie?”

“I think another night sounds great,” he grinned at me. “And perhaps you and I could have lunch here again tomorrow? We didn’t really get to eat much today, did we?”

“We had biscuits!” The girls looked as though biscuits could count as lunch. 

I chuckled. “Yes, but I think Prince Uncle Charlie means a _meal_ might be nice as well.” My eyes caught Charlie’s. “Right?”

“Yeah,” Charlie stood up and offered his hand to help pull me to my feet. “So, lunch tomorrow? I’ll bring the food?”

“And some nieces?” He was still holding my hand.

Charlie laughed. He still sounds a bit like my Movie Man. “Can’t get enough of us Weasleys, can you?”

_I can’t get enough of_ you. I thought to myself. Aloud, I said, “With or without kids, I’d love lunch again tomorrow.” 

He squeezed my hand, just as he’d squeezed my thigh earlier. I wished it was my thigh again. “It’s a date,” he said. 

“A date?” shrieked Charlotte. “ _You’ve_ got a _date_?” Four pairs of eyes were wide, staring at Charlie.

“Yes, a _date_ ,” Charlie sighed at the girls. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Daddy says you haven’t been on a date in _years_ ,” she shrugged. “I just thought you were too old.”

I stifled a giggle. Charlie rolled his eyes. “I’m _not_ too old,” he told his nieces. “Daddy is going to get a lecture from Uncle Charlie about what to teach his daughters about dating though. And I’d better give the same lecture to your other uncles while I’m at it. No point in having this conversation with all seventeen of you, is there?”

“Okay,” Charlotte smirked up at her uncle, “but you’re still old! Bye Sarah!” she called to me as she ran back to the dragon, her sisters right behind her.

“Bye girls! Thanks for a great lunch.” Then I lowered my voice, “Even if it was just biscuits.” I smiled at Charlie, who still hadn’t let go of my hand.

“Sarah, thanks, you were great today.”

“It was no problem, Charlie.” I twisted my fingers between his. It felt nice, natural, just like the cuddling on the bench had been yesterday. I wondered if I _would_ end up in his lap sometime. “Really.”

“Sarah,” he started, “I’ve really enjoyed coming to this park these past few days. I feel like-“

“I know,” I interrupted, because I did. “I think I feel like that too.”

“Like you can’t wait for lunch tomorrow?”

I grinned, my heart sped up. “Yeah.”

The noise from the park seemed to fade. Charlie picked up my other hand and held both hands in his. I glanced down at them, fingers entwined. It looked nice, happy somehow, even though I was just seeing hands. When I looked back up at Charlie, he was already looking at me. I could see something very sweet in his eyes. There was a quiet understanding,  giving me a sense of contentment and hope. His lips were so close. They were soft pink, and a bit chapped, like his hands. His freckles faded along his lips, into his mouth, almost like chocolate bits melting on hot skin. I wanted to taste them. He parted his lips slightly, and slowly leaned toward me. 

I closed my eyes, waiting, hoping he wanted this as much as I did.

“Uncle Flirt!” Of course. “Are you going to _kiss_ Sarah?”

“What happened to Prince Uncle Charlie?” he rolled his eyes and smiled at me apologetically. “I think I liked that better.”

“ _Prince_ Uncle Charlie was saving us, not kissing!”

“Well, then I guess I’ll have to be Uncle Flirt for another minute here.” He softly brushed his warm lips against mine. My lips tingled as his lingered for a few seconds. He whispered, “Until tomorrow then?”

I nodded. “Until tomorrow.”

I walked back to work with a smile on my face. My sexy new flirt shirt had worked. I was a star with the little girls, and I’d been given a look at a happy family. A happy family I hoped I could get to know better. _And_ I had a date with Prince Uncle Flirt Movie Man Charlie Weasley. Hopefully it would be a date with more kissing.  That night, as I fell into a deep sleep, I thought about Charlie. I hadn’t thought about anyone this way since before Philip died. A wave of happiness tucked me in as I realized Philip would want this for me. He’d given me a new start those many years ago, and I’d nearly wasted it. But I wouldn’t let Philip down. I slept with a smile on my freshly-kissed lips, knowing how much I wanted to fall in love again.


End file.
